Bill Text: TX SB710 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to the establishment and use of a written electronic communications system accessible to the public by certain municipal entities.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2)
Status: (Passed) 2025-06-20 - Effective on 9/1/25 [SB710 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-SB710-Enrolled.html
| S.B. No. 710 | ||
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| relating to the establishment and use of a written electronic | ||
| communications system accessible to the public by certain municipal | ||
| entities. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 551.006(b), Government Code, is amended | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| (b) Except as provided by Section 551.0061, a [ |
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| governmental body may have no more than one online message board or | ||
| similar Internet application to be used for the purposes described | ||
| in Subsection (a). The online message board or similar Internet | ||
| application must be owned or controlled by the governmental body, | ||
| prominently displayed on the governmental body's primary Internet | ||
| web page, and no more than one click away from the governmental | ||
| body's primary Internet web page. | ||
| SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 551, Government Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 551.0061 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 551.0061. WRITTEN ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS | ||
| ACCESSIBLE TO PUBLIC FOR CERTAIN MUNICIPAL ENTITIES. (a) The | ||
| governing body of a municipality by ordinance or resolution may | ||
| authorize each board, commission, or similar entity of the | ||
| municipality to establish and use an online message board or | ||
| similar Internet application for the purposes described in Section | ||
| 551.006(a). | ||
| (b) A governing body adopting an ordinance or resolution | ||
| under this section may authorize use of the online message board or | ||
| similar Internet application for a period of not longer than two | ||
| years, and may reauthorize use of the message board or application | ||
| in the same manner and for the same period as many times as the | ||
| governing body determines is appropriate. The governing body may | ||
| rescind an ordinance or resolution adopted under this section at | ||
| any time. | ||
| (c) An online message board or similar Internet application | ||
| authorized by this section is separate from and in addition to a | ||
| municipal online message board or similar Internet application | ||
| authorized by Section 551.006. | ||
| (d) The use and administration of an online message board or | ||
| similar Internet application authorized by this section must comply | ||
| with the requirements of Section 551.006. | ||
| (e) A municipal governing body that authorizes use of an | ||
| online message board or similar Internet application under this | ||
| section shall require a municipal employee to monitor the message | ||
| board or application for compliance with this section and Section | ||
| 551.006. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 710 passed the Senate on | ||
| March 27, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0; and that | ||
| the Senate concurred in House amendment on May 30, 2025, by the | ||
| following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that S.B. No. 710 passed the House, with | ||
| amendment, on May 28, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 117, | ||
| Nays 24, two present not voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| Approved: | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
